The dawn of my understanding

Right from my early childhood, I did feel that there was something wrong with the communication system of the local vernacular. It was distressing to me, and I found it quite disturbing. However, it was only when I first came to hear English spoken that I suspected that there were other ways of human communication other than Malayalam. My sisters used to come home from an English school, where in those days, a slight tinge of British systems were there.

They would speak to each in English, which I couldn’t understand.  But the difference between English and Malayalam was quite obvious. It was a different sounding language. When it was being spoken, I could sense a difference in the general behaviour of my sisters, as they interacted with each other.

Later, as I myself came to understand and speak English, I could discern a grave difference in the mood and attitude of persons who spoke to me in English with those who spoke to me in Malayalam. The English speakers could only communicate with me as an equal, while Malayalam speakers could only speak to me as a subordinate, idiotic personality. As a child, the two different ways of treating me was quite distinctly clear. For a long time, I could not really understand why this was so.

The English speakers could only ask intelligent questions and that too, to the point. While the Malayalam speakers used to ask question to which the answers were quite obvious. However, it was clear to me that they wanted to see the spectacle of me answering to them in the difficult contortions of the feudal language, wherein I as a subordinate was forced and pestered to answer silly questions. Later, much later, I was to know that this was the way the Malayalam speaking police officials used to taunt the common man, if they came to the police station for anything.

Questions in Malayalam would be asked to me, the child, in a pose of questioning a silly, dumb-headed child. Such questionings were not required, as the answers were known to others including the question-asking person. Questions such as ‘Who is your father?’ ‘What is your mother’s name?’ etc. were pestered out of me, and the others used to see this as a sort of an act of buffoonery by me. They would burst out in laughter.

However, generally when the speakers were talking to me in English, there would be a mood of questions to the point, or communication at a different level.